Holder for cards, signs or the like



March 19, 1963 G. J. SMITH HOLDER FOR CARDS, SIGNS 0R TRE LIKE:

Filed Sept. 8, 1961 QT R M. i 5. W w

INV ENTOR Iyew /YMM ATTORNEY United States Patent Otitice lh PatentedMar. 19, 1%63 3,681,568 HLDER FR CARDS, SIGNS @R THE UKE George J.Smith, 86% Flower Ave., Apt. B2, Takoma Park, Mtl. Filed Sept. 1961,Ser. No. 136,884 1 Claim. (Cl. tu- 16) This invention relates to asupport or holder, and more particularly to a device for supportingcards, signs or the like in commercial establishments such as `foodstores or super markets.

The primary object or" the present invention is to provide a devicewhich is adapted to be used for conveniently supporting signs or cardsof ditferent shapes or sizes, and wherein the present invention isadjustable so that it can readily accommodate or support signs or cardsof different sizes as desired or required, and wherein the presentinvention can be readily attached to or detached from a `strip such asan aluL inum strip on a refrigerated meat case or the like.

Another object is to provide arcard and sign support or holder which isadapted to be made of a suitable material such as thin trexible metal sothat for example when the device is being used, in the event that acustomer or employee or other person inadvertently or accidentallycontacts or bumps into the card or support, the inherent resiliency ofthe device will permit parts of the device to ex or bend slightly inorder to help insure that the device will not be knocked loose from itssupporting structure during such an eventuality.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a devicewhich is especially suitable for supporting cards and signs on meatcases or refrigerators, freezers or the like in stores such as supermarkets, and wherein the present invention includes a lower portion orbase member which is adapted to conveniently engage between ridges on aninclined strip such as an inclined aluminum strip, and wherein thedevice of the present invention is adjustable to accommodate articlesbeing displayed of diterent sizes or shapes as desired or required.

A further object of this invention is to provide a card and sign orarticle holder which is extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of thefollowing description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and inwhich like numerals are used to designate like parts throughout thesame.

FIG. 1 is a side elevational View illustrating the sign and card holderof the present invention mounted on or engaging an inclined strip of afreezer, meat case or the like, and with parts broken away and insection.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational View of the sign and card holder per se.

PEG. 4 is a sectional View taken on the line 4--4 of FIG. 2.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral indicates a portion ofa member which may be a freezer, meat case or the like in a super marketor other establishment, and the member 10 may include an upwardlyarranged inclined surface 11, and the numeral 12 indicates aconventional strip which is arranged contiguous to the inclined surface11, and the strip 12 may be made of a suitable material such as aluminumand includes the plurality of spaced apart ridges 13.

According to the present invention there is provided a card and signholder which is indicated generally by the numeral 1d, and as shown inthe drawings the device 14 includes a base member or clip S which isadapted to be made of a suitable material such as thin flexible metal,and the ends of the base member 15 are adapted to selectively engagecertain of the ridges 13 of the aluminum Strip 12 as shown in FIG. l.

The holder or supporting device 14 further includes a support memberwhich is indicated generally by the numeral 16, and the support member16 includes a first portion 17 that is secured to the upper intermediateportion of the base member 15 in any suitable manner, as for example bywelding, and the support member 16 further includes a second portion 18that is arranged angularly with respect to the first portion 17, and theupper edge portion of the support member 16 is outwardly offset slightlyas at 19 for a purpose to be later described.

The numeral 21B indicates a body member or upright element whichincludes a main straight flat section 21, and the body member has on itslower end a flange or lip 22 which is arranged angularly with respect tothe straight section 21, and the iiange 22 is positioned in superposedrelation with respect to the rst portion 17 of the support member 16,and the ange 22 is adapted to be secured to the portion 17 in anysuitable manner as for example by welding.

The sign and card holder of the present invention further includes anextension 23 which is adjustably connected to the body member 20, andthe extension 23 has on its upper end a downwardly projecting hookportion 2d which has its lower edge slightly offset outwardly asindicated by the numeral 25, FIG. l. In FIG. 1 the numeral 25 indicatesin dotted lines an article such as a card or sign being supported.

As shown in the drawings a first guide member or bracket 27 is securedto the lower end of the extension 23 for slidably engaging the straightsection 21, and there is provided a second guide member or bracket 2Swhich is secured to the upper end of the straight section 21, and theguide member 28 slidably receives therein the extension 23.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that there has been provided a signand card holder which is especially suitable for use in supportingcards, signs or the like in super markets, grocery stores, drug storesor other establishments. In use, with the parts arranged as shown in thedrawings, it will be seen that the device 14 of the present invention isadapted to be made substantially entirely of a suitable material such asthin exible metal stocks so that for example when the card, such as thecard 26, is supported by the device, in the event that a customer, ern'-ployee or other persons accidentally bumps into the card or holder, theparts will tlex or give slightly in order to prevent the card from beingknocked out of the holder or in order to prevent the holder from beingknocked off of its supporting member such as the strip 12, and this isdue to the inherent resiliency of the thin tiexible metal that is usedfor making the device.

It is to be noted that since the base member 15 is made of thin metallike material, its ends are adapted to engage suitable ridges 13 in thestrip 12, and the strip 12' is fastened to the case or member 1d -in theusual manner. Due to the flexibility of the member 15, it can bearranged in engagement with diterent ridges as desired or requiredwhereby it will be seen that the -device of the present invention can beconveniently mounted on Ior supported by a strip having differentspacings of ridges thereon, whereby rthe device of the present inventionis versatile and adaptable to different articles or members as desiredor required.

The provision of the pair of guide members 27 and 28 serve to insurethat the extension 23` Iwill he maintained properly aligned relative tothe body member 20 regardless of the extended or retracted position ofthe extension 23, and in addition, the members 27 :and 2S are adapted tocoact to dene or provide stop members to limit outward movement or" theextension 23. That is, when the extension 23' is moved or pulledoutwardly or upwardly, it can only move a distance until the guidemember 27 engages or .abuts the guide member 28' and then no `furtheroutward movement of the extension 23 can take place, and thisarrangement serves to insure that the yextension will not accidentallybe pulled entirely loose or separated from the body member 20.

The card or sign 26 which is being supported may have suitable printedmatter or advertising matter thereon as well as the prices tor the like,and when the card is being supported, its upper edge is adapted to beengaged between the hook portion 24 and the adjacent upper surface ofthe extension 23, while the lower edge of the card is received betweenthe portion 18 of the support member 16 and the adjacent lower surfaceof the straight section 21 of the body member 20. The extension 23 maybe raised or lowered as desired or required in order to make sure thatthe upper and lower edges of the card are proper-ly gripped or firmlyheld so as to provide a firm support for the card or sign. The edges 19and 25 are slightly oiset as shown in FIG. 1 for example so as toprovide a somewhat tapering mouth or ilaring guide portion to facilitateinsertion of the edge of the card in position in the holder of thepresent invention.

The support member 16 serves several purposes, that is it provides theportion 18 which coacts with the adjacent lower surace of the section 21to receive the bottom edge of the card, and in addition the supportmember 16 provides a means whereby the lower end of the body member 20is secu-red and supported in place on the base member 15.

With the parts arranged as shown in FIG. 1, it will be seen that thecard or sign 26 will be held or supported in a substantially verticalposition, and thus the printed matrter or advertisements, prices or thelike on the card can be conveniently observed by customers in a supermarket or the like. However, the angle between the base member and bodymember 20 can be varied as desired or required in order to permit a cardor sign to be supported at different angular positions as desired.

The parts can be made of any suitable material or in different shapes orsizes.

While the present invention has been described specifically for use asla card or sign support in super markets or the like, itis to beunderstood that it is adapted to be conveniently used in otherestablishments besides super markets, as for example it may be used invarious types fof locations or establishments for supporting any type ofcard, sign or the like.

The device may be made or arranged so that it will iit different typesor shapes of molding strips 12. The support member 16 not only providesa supporting means for the lower edge of the card, but also it providesan attaching means for rmly connecting the body member to the basemember.

Minor changes in shape, size and rearrangement of details coming withinthe eld of invention claimed may be restored to in actual practice, ifdesired.

What is claimed is:

As a new :article of manufacture, `a card and sign holder made of thinflexible material ythat is bendable and comprising a support memberwhich embodies a rst portion, a second portion arranged at an angle withrespect to said iirst portion, said rst and second portions being ofuniform Width thnoughout their length, a body member embodying a mainstraight section which has a ange on its lower end and said flange beingarranged at an angle relative to said straight section, said flangebeing positioned in super-imposed contiguous relation relative to thefirst portion of said support member and being aixed thereto, Ianextension of generally straight formation adjustably connected to thestraight section of said body member and said extension being providedion its upper end with a hook portion which projects downwardly from theupper edge thereof, the space between the second portion and mainstraight section being substantially the :same size as the space betweenthe hook portion and adjacent portion of 'the extension, said supportmember, extension `and body member being :arranged in superposedrelation with respect to each other and being of uniform width, saidhook portion facing in the opposite direction from said ilange, saidhook portion and second portion of said support member having ofsetedges, the oiset edge of said hook portion and second portion of saidsupport member being arranged in diametrically opposed relation withrespect to each other, a first guide member secured to the lower portionof said extension for slidably engaging and encircling said stra-ightsection, the lower 'end of said eX- tension being flush with the loweredge of said first guide member, and a second guide member affixed tothe upper end of said straight section and slidably receiving andencircling therein said extension, said second guide member beingarranged above said first guide member, the upper edge of said secondvguide member being ush with the upper end of said straight section,said iinst guide member being mounted for movement into and out ofengagement with said second guide member so that a stop is provided forlimiting upward movement of said extension.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS i511,944 Gordon Ian. 2, 1894 1,238,552 Mitchell Aug. 28, 1917 1,954,696Gend Apr. 10, 1934 2,177,187 Olsen Oct. 24, 1939 2,552,745 Stanley May15, 1951 2,921,393 Wood Ian. 19, 1960 2,927,701 Lynde Mar. 8, 19603,008,254 Smith Nov. 14, 1961 3,015,897 Hopp Jan. 9, 1962 FOREIGNPATENTS 31,828 Denmark June 11, 1923

